Authors Note: *runs from bullets and random objects being tossed at her* eep I know it has been so long since I updated! ;-; I'm soooo sorry, but I fell out of discord with this story, and had some college troubles enough to where I didn't feel like writing at all… but, I got reminded about this story and suddenly felt an urge to start typing it up! ^^ thank you for those who are patient with me, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! I made it longer than the previous ones so that you will forgive me -.-; ^^

Chapter Four

Arguments

Closing the door with a click, the woman slipped out of the bedroom to let the man rest. He had had a trying night, and a good day's sleep would do him worlds good. His wounds would benefit from it more than if he was awake, and she hoped that he would recover soon. Iavera knew she would stay as long as he needed so that she could protect him, but she had problems of her own that needed to be taken care of. The trail would grow cold if she did not set out soon, but it couldn't be helped. Another few months of traveling…just what I need…she thought to herself. A quick stop in her room provided her with a pouch of money for supplies, and her ever faithful whip. The trouble makers from the night before could still be lurking around, and if she was to run into them, she wanted to make sure she was protected. Leaving her room, Iavera walked to the stairs and came down then at a relative pace, wincing slightly at the slice on her leg, eyeing a few people that had glanced her way before she made her way over to the keeper's bar tender. He looked frail and scrawny, but the glint behind in his eyes told her that he was more than he seemed. He eyed her suspiciously, looking her over as if contemplating something. Placing her hand on the counter, she leaned in with a look of malevolence in her eyes.

"Whatever you and your men are planning, I suggest you think otherwise…" she said, in a soft tone that hinted slightly at a threat. The man straightened up as if he was going to say something in rebuttal to her, his dark eyes flashing at her threat. She straightened her body, turning her head slightly to see the other men in the room. Each and every one of them was looking at her, poised as if they were to jump her at any second. She placed a hand on her hip, a small smirk coming to her face.

"He may be alone, but that man is far from defenseless. If you value your lives, then I would leave him alone…" she said. Removing her hand, she turned and walked to the door, ignoring all of them who looked at her with malicious intend. They left her in peace, however, and as she entered into the sunlight, a smile came upon her lips. There were clouds above, but there was enough breaks in between them that the sun was allowed to filter onto the city. With no need for a cloak, Iavera had left it back in Gabriel's room across a chair, and was free to love the warmth on her face and body. People bustled about, going around to little shops and buying what they needed for the day. Merchants offered their wares to the passer buyers, showing in range from antique jewelry to exotic foods, to newly crafted weapons. All of it looked expensive, but none of these besides the food was of any use to the woman. She had in mind certain supplies that would be required for not only her own travels, but medical supplies for Gabriel and for herself.

One vendor caught her attention, and as she walked over to his little booth, she could see what had attracted her eye so willingly. It was a set of charms, necklaces… and crosses. There were several rosary beads lined up, each ranging in color from the purest white to the darkest red. Passing over them, Iavera came across a palm sized cross inlaid with a brass mixture. It looked like ivory, but by the price the man was giving, she knew it was no where near that well made. Handing him the amount he asked for, she tucked the cross away at her waist and turned away, continuing on to her true destination for traveling supplies. Who knew when the cross could come in handy?

A little over three hours passed before she had gathered enough supplies to last them for quite some time. Hauling it on her shoulder with a rucksack she had purchased, the woman walked her way back to the front of the inn. The sun was high in the sky now, it being a little passed noon, and she could feel the heat on her back despite the snow everywhere. The little stroll down the street had earned her some strange stares, most from people who thought her outfit was quite odd for a lady. Paying no attention to them, she used her free hand to push open the large double door before her and stepped inside. The men that had been there hours ago were now gone, and she hoped for good. The less annoyances the better. The floorboards creaked as she walked up the stairs, heading for her room and for Gabriel's. The sun had caused her to sweat slightly on her back, and as soon as she was within her own room, she hauled the sack off her back and dumped it on the bed. I didn't think so many supplies would be that heavy…she thought as she turned right around and walked next door.

"How do you fair?" she asked, once within the room as she closed the door behind her, making sure that it was locked so that they wouldn't be bothered with unnecessary interruptions. She could see that he was still laying on the bed, his shirt still removed so that she could more easily tend to his wounds in case she needed to. The look on his face gave her the answer to her question, even before he spoke up to her.

"Bored out of my bloody mind!" he said, annoyance and frustration at not being able to get up clear in his voice as it was snowy outside. He snorted slightly to himself in contempt, aggravated that he could not move from the bed, and that he had a practical stranger caring for him after he was humiliated. He didn't look at her for a few moments, sighing impatiently for a time before he gazed back at her,

"All I can do is sit and stare up at the ceiling…. Absolutely nothing to do at all, and even if I do get better, there isn't anything for me to do because I have nowhere to go…" he said grumpily, the last part more to himself than it was to her. He could see out of the corner of his eyes that she had moved to the table, taking a hold of the vodka bottle, looking as if she was considering on giving him more for the pain or not, which he wished she would. The searing pain in his side had dulled when alcohol had calmed his nerves, but not it throbbed angrily each time he took in a breath. Wincing slightly, he continued to look at her as she took one of the glasses and poured some of the alcohol, handing it to him, which he gladly accepted. He downed it rather quickly, feeling it burn all the way down his throat, coating the inside with numbness and finding that his pain was blessedly dimming. Closing his eyes for a second, Gabriel sighed, then looked at her, letting the glass rest on the bed beside him. She had her hands on her hips, a smirk on her face.

"What do you expect?" she said after giving a small laugh, "You can't very well get out of bed with your wound!" A few moments passed in silence as he sighed to himself, knowing that she was right but still not liking the idea of being stuck in one place for so long. Even a few days was dangerous for him, for any number of bounty hunters could be hunting him, even though he knew his path was destined to befall to one of them. May others be as passionate in their hunting of you…The memory trickled into his mind for a second before it disappeared, him shaking his head as he tried to forget it. So many times he had those past memories surface, and each time he tried his hardest to suppress them, rid them from himself… But they always come back… When he came back to reality, she was staring at him, looking as if her mind was searching for something, but to what he did not know. A few more moments passed before she spoke again, her voice inquiring to him,

"Surely the great Van Helsing has many bounties to carry out…?" she said, a little sarcasm also held within her tone. "Why not travel around and help those that are in need? You seem to be good at it…" she said. Iavera remembered the rumors she had heard about him on her travels, some not always good. Most she heard of him being a murderer, but there were others that told of his dealings with legendary creatures, and the saving of innocent lives. There were many, many stories about him, but from what she could see of him, laying there wounded and annoyed, that he at least felt pity for some of the things he had done, even if it was done for the best intentions. For that, she could commend him for his actions, for she knew that his heart was at least in the right place.

"You after all, were the one who slew Dracula…"

Gabriel twitched at the name, trying hard not to let more memories flood his mind. These five years he had committed to erasing those days from his mind seemed to do him no good, for just a mention of the past made it become all to real. The pain in his heart was still there, and it ached now just as much as it had then, but now with the dull reminder that it was himself who had caused the heartache. Sighing, he closed his eyes and laid his head back against the wooden headboard, opening his eyes once again to look at the ceiling, then out the window, seeing the sunshine coming in with light rays. They danced across the floor as the sun was hidden by clouds, then uncovered to let it shine once more.

"Somehow… now that I look back on that, I don't know if slaying him was really worth it…." he hesitated, knowing she might want further explanation, but not wanting to give it, "As for the bounty hunting… I've given that up. That part of the tale seldom gets around, and I'm tired of losing a little piece of myself with every person I 'save'." he said, the last word a little more emphasized, since most didn't see him as any kind of savior.

"I don't hunt outlaws, and I never did…" he said, sighing to himself once more. Everyone he had gone after had been someone who had a different side to them that had been forced upon them by some force of nature, or by another creature. When he hunted werewolves, it was innocent men and women who had been forced to change, and gargoyles were poor creatures cast in stone by day and wandering the night forever lonely. He felt pity for a few when they reverted to their human nature, and it was these humans that others found, most of the time dead, and that was why he was always called a murderer…

"Why stop what you are good at? If it frees the world of evil, then it is an honorable thing to do…" said the fire headed woman, still watching him closely. She could see he was dealing with inner turmoil once again, and for him to recover, he needed to be positive, not sulking and worrying about something that had happened in the past. Why should he stop what he was doing? Why not rid the world of evil, why not save those that are innocent that would perish without his help? It seemed beyond reason to her to why he would stop such a gallant, heroic mission where there were so many who needed to be saved in the world. Iavera's body turned rigid as she looked at him, a spark of anger in her eyes, mixed with pity and stubbornness.

"Don't stop because of what other people thing! You do these things to protect the innocent, yes?" she asked him, knowing that he would not want to answer her. He seemed to want to keep his feelings inside of him, not showing them so that he would not appear weak to her. It was understandable, but to mope about because of something that happened was a foolish thing to do. One couldn't deal with their past problems unless confronted with them to their face. The woman knew she would have to help him somehow, because he didn't seem inclined to go the distance by himself. But then, her eyes softened to him as she pulled an apple from her pocket, tossing it to him, which he caught in his hand by reflex.

"Eat…" she said simply. However, he seemed to ignore that he had food in his hand, still concentrating on what she had said to him. His own stubbornness began to show through, as he was adamant about his decision, even though he knew she would disagree with his ways and thoughts.

"I don't care what people think! I'm giving it up, all of it, or at least I'm trying to.." he hesitated, "Every time I kill someone I lose a bit of myself there and if there's one thing I learned on my last adventure was that just because someone or something is not human or is different, that they are bad… It's very difficult to judge who is good or bad these days…" said Gabriel, his voice dimming slightly at the end. The argument was eating away his energy from his sleep, but he seemed to ignore it. He could feel pain seeping back into him, and not from his wound. It didn't look like she would understand what he was trying to say. Even the Vatican had marveled at his decision, and when he had suddenly left, they had sent out numerous letters to try and get a hold of him, none of which he ever returned, or even looked at. After the last mission, he had forbade himself from ever going back there, or contacting them. Nothing was worth feeling that pain again, and even now he wished the brutes from the previous night had finished him off… Why must He be so cruel? Van Helsing thought to himself. Closing his eyes, he rested his back against the headboard again, tired from the feelings he had, and tired from pain.

The entire time he was speaking, the woman had sat down, and listened to him, not interrupting. She was silent, not speaking, but really hearing what he was saying. There was a hidden truth behind his words, and it made her wonder what had happened to him for him to feel so strongly about his decision. It seemed to tug at her heartstrings, this hidden secret of his, enough to where her appearance seemed softer, even in the sweet sunlight. Even though she understood what he was saying, however, Iavera was not giving up the fact that he was giving up this great gift to help protect those who could not defend themselves. Scooting her chair slightly closer to him, she leaned forwards a little.

"It seems you have lost something dear to you... I can tell by the way you speak your words…" she said softly to him, which caused him to look slightly away from her. I'm right… and it must hurt him terribly…she thought. Iavera's face brightened, however, and she sat up straighter, slapping her hands on her knees to get his attention.

"Well, my friend, it seems you have found a new traveling companion!" she said, a smirk playing across her face. Despite having a problem of her own to deal with, the woman felt like that if she didn't watch out for this man, make sure he healed and that he recovered more than just physically, that no one else would. He needs the chance to recover his mind and body, to remember that there is always a brighter side to life… Gabriel looked surprised at her opinionated statement, a brow lifting in wonder at why she would say such a thing. It seemed odd that after knowing him for less than twenty four hours, she would advocate herself to his traveling companion.

"Really?" he asked, a little sarcastic, but he could not hide the surprised sound in his tone. "Very interesting…. And what makes you think I need or would want someone to tag along?" he asked, not liking the idea of having to deal with someone when he just wanted to be left alone.

"Besides, you're a woman and where I go is far too dangerous for someone like you…" he said, thinking that even though she had helped him the night before, that she would not be able to handle what his tasks were, even though he knew himself that he wasn't going to be doing anything of the like any time soon. It was just a bluff to get her to reconsider her statement, and he hoped that it worked. There was an ulterior motive for his words, and if she knew what the entire story was of those five years ago, she might be a little more hesitant than she was. I can't kill someone else… no more.

"The display the other night was impressive, I will give you that. But I hardly think you should even dare to tread where I go." An immediate huff echoed from her lips at him, the stubbornness in her eyes returning. She seemed to be at an equal level when it came to each other's refusal to do anything that they didn't deem fit. Iavera was not about to have his stereotypical male mind thing that she couldn't do the same as him. Women, it seemed, were to be portrayed as a helpless damsel who needed a man to save her. If she had been anything besides a human, the woman was sure she would have growled at him for his accusations of her apparent womanly weakness.

"Woman or not, I feel you would be reckless and get yourself killed far to easily if someone was not with you…" she said, hands returning to the hips. The smirk returned, and so did a mischievous look about her eyes. Gabriel winced slightly as a jolt of pain ran through is wound. She was being stubborn as hell, but he had to admire to the fact that she was not like most women… She reminds me a lot of you Anna…but you were far more stubborn than she could ever be…he thought, chuckling to himself. Raising a brow, the woman looked at him for a few moments, then spoke,

"No matter your words or feelings, I will be traveling with you, so you might as well get used to it, Van Helsing." Iavera took out a second apple, hidden within a different pocket of her vest, and bit a chunk of it off. She could see that he hadn't even touched the one she had given him, so she nodded her head to indicate it.

"Eat, you need your strength." she said, taking another bite. The woman had nothing more to say on either subject, so she sat back, chewing silently, willing to ignore any further protest by him. Gabriel looked down at the apple still in his hand, sighing, but refusing to admit defeat without a little of a comeback. He thought about the long travels ahead, having to put up with her and deal with her authorative attitude. He lifted the apple in his hand, taking out a bite and chewing it, finding it rather tasty, considering the most he had to eat wasn't even food. It had been alcohol. He couldn't even remember the last thing he had eaten that actually tasted good, not really even bothering to eat as he traveled unless he needed to keep going.

"You're rather bossy, you know that?" he said, snickering to himself when he saw a slight glare come from the woman, "You're lucky I'm shot. Otherwise I'd have more to say on this matter." he took another bite, "And you can count on it that you'll be hearing more of it sooner or later. But, I guess I can't stop you coming with…" his voice turned tired for a moment, but perked up when sat up a little straighter, looking directly at her.

"If you lag behind, you get left behind. I don't want to hear any complaining."

Smiling to herself, Iavera felt like she had won their little argument, even if he wanted to continue to complain about her decision. She would listen and obey his conditions to their travels, even though she wouldn't completely listen to everything he wanted to say. She knew how to take care of herself, for sure, and he would see in time that she could. More than a defenseless woman, she could take care of herself quite well when the situation called for it, as he had seem himself the night before. She was even able to patch him up and save his life, a skill that had come handy as she grew up. Finishing the apple all the way down to the core, she bite off the top and bottom, eating the entire thing and leaving nothing behind. Traveling had taught her to eat everything she could, for supplies could run low if one did not use all that one had available. Wasting food in this cold winter wasn't very smart, so it was common for her to finish whatever food was put before her. It was a handy trick to survival. Standing up, she walked over to the small window, still feeling the sun coming from it as she wiped her mouth from the apple's juices. Down in the street below, she could still see people bustling about. Turning her head back to him while leaning against the window sill, she spoke up.

"Your wound will need another few days for your body to even try to handle traveling, yes?" Gabriel nodded, knowing that a wound to the stomach would need more healing than other areas. For one, it was where the major vital organs were, and damage to them took longer to recover to say a knife wound in the arm. He was lucky that he hadn't bled out from nicking an artery or major blood vessel. Had that been the case, he wouldn't have been laying there in the bed, recovering. Van Helsing was sure he would be in some unmarked grave, with the townsfolk having dishonored his body by mutilating it as they always did with any murderer in their eyes. Since he would have been dead, a lynching wouldn't have worked, so the next best thing would to be savage the body. A shudder ran through him, causing him to wince again, but he thanked the stars she didn't see him do it.

"Tell me about how you defeated Dracula…"

The question took him off guard, with a sudden rush of not wanting to talk about him. But, it seemed that he had nothing to do but talk, so what was the harm? The question was innocent enough, in his eyes, and he was sure she wanted to keep him occupied, since he had said he had been bored out of his mind. Maybe the whole argument had been spun from her trying to give him something to do? It was most unlikely. Sighing, he started to tell her.

"Well… it turns out nothing what so ever can kill him. People have tried to stake him through the heart, pour holy water on his unholy skin, shoot him, club him, place crucifix's in his presence, and nothing ever worked…" Gabriel thought to himself, at least knowing why maybe he attacked them after such attempts. Anyone would be sore at anyone for having them to try and kill them. He himself didn't like the fact that people tried to kill him, so in a strange way, he could relate to the deceased vampire. Van Helsing continued,

"But… Dracula owned a cure for the curse of the werewolf, and we… I wondered why he would have such a thing in his castle. It turns out that the only thing that could kill him was in fact a werewolf, one that was not fully changed before its first full moon…" Continuing, he explained of how he turned into a werewolf from a scratch from one who was under the service of the vampire king, and how he was able to finally destroy him with a swipe to the throat by his claws. Gabriel purposely left out the fact of Anna and her brother, not wanting to bring them up for his own personal reasons. She would get the gist of the story without those facts, so why put them in?

During the entire story, the woman had sat back down and listened to him, not interrupting him as she leaned forward as if to hear him better. At his mention of a cure to the curse of the loup garou, her eyes widened slightly, but she immediately reposed her face. Iavera was shocked from what he was telling her. From all the legends she had heard as a child, and even now, all had told of the vampire king being invincible and forever immortal. Not once had she heard of a way for him to be destroyed, and certainly had she never heard a tale of him being killed by another legend, a werewolf. It was all incredulous, but the tales of the mighty Van Helsing had been true. She began to wonder how he had survived such an encounter, but to ask such a thing would belittle what he felt he had done, so she kept her mouth shut. Tilting her head slightly, she spoke to herself more than to him.

"That is very interesting…" she said, then to him, "How could you have possibly defeated such a powerful vampire? Even as a werewolf, he must have been incredibly strong…" she said. Gabriel nodded in affirmation to her inquiry.

"He was strong, but I was rather determined you see… I couldn't let him continue to kill innocent people. His plan was more than to just rule from his castle. He wanted to give life to his children, which were born dead. If that ever happened, thousands upon thousands of innocent lives would be hunted down for food… I couldn't let that happen…" he said, trailing off at the end. Anna's family had also been in danger, but again he refused to speak of her. It was his way of attempting to forget about her, even if his heart protested.

"He was also said to be the son of the devil himself. Such an evil creature could not be allowed to live. The Vatican had ordered his destruction, and I was their hand in doing so. Although…" he thought to himself, wondering something that seemed to pop in his mind now, of all the times to do so, "it makes me wonder. He had made a deal with the devil when he first became the monster he was… I hope he could not do it again…" The thought of that evil being being allowed to walk the earth once again was almost to haunting to think about. Dracula would have been out for blood literally if ever a thing was to occur, but he knew that it was very unlikely for such a thing to happen. Iavera spoke up, which made him start to wonder again.

"It makes sense, after all. If Dracula had made a pact with the devil to become immortal, and he's in Hell again… he might come back to seek vengeance on those who kill him…" she hesitated, "including you." If that was true, then it would be dangerous for her to travel with him, even with the promise she had given of making sure he healed. Crossing the path with a being bent on destruction was never wise, especially since she would be caught in the crossfire and having done nothing to provoke him. By simple association she could be killed… In any case, Dracula or no, she would not let him wander by himself in what appeared to be his vulnerable state. She had to think on the bright side, with the fact that he wouldn't come back to kill Gabriel, and that the pair was being paranoid of something that could not happen. Instead of making the man worry, a softer smile came across her face, the smile itself giving warmth and comfort to the torn man.

"He could just remain dead, for all we know…" she said. Gabriel didn't seem to be to worried about the idea, however. A snicker came from him, as a glint of his own mischievousness flickered across his dark eyes. He shifted in his bed, trying to keep any one part of his body from becoming numb by laying on it. He wanted his blood to flow freely to help speed the healing process, so the sooner he could get well, the sooner he could leave.

"You seem to have quite an interest in him… I suppose he could be charming for a vampire… His brides adored that monster, and they were gorgeous women, despite the fangs and lust for blood. Probably quite the compliment to be chosen by him…" he said, snickering at her for the face she made. It was one of pure horror and appall. To be interested in such a demonic being as Dracula made he want to shudder. Even so, a rose hue appeared on her fair skin. She huffed at him for his remark.

"I am not interested in Dracula… How dare you think something so vile?!" she huffed again. Iavera had to take a few minutes to calm her temper down, as she didn't want to have it flare before him. Taking quite a few breaths, the anger slid from her body as she calmed herself, but contempt was still in her eyes as she looked at him.

"I'm sure vampires would adore him, but to me he is the epitome of evil… just as any immortal would be…" she said, crossing her arms, "and anyway…" she said, trying to change the subject when she could see a spark of laughter in his eyes, "What do you think you will find in the East? There must be something you want there, or you would not travel such a dangerous road…" The laughter in his eyes dulled quickly as seriousness took over his form once again. The time for aggravating his new companion had passed, and he glanced away from her, trying to act nonchalant about it. It appeared a fake kind of calmness that she could tell immediately. But instead of calling him on it, she considered the fact that whatever he sought might be more personal than he was willing to admit.

"Oh, I don't know… maybe to just visit a grave or a house and remember old times. Embrace the good memories that I still have, even if it was in the darkest place on earth. To Transylvania I go, most likely…we go, I guess if you have the nerves to venture into such territory…" he smirked at her, wondering if she would take the bait again to argue. He tempted it before her, trying to flare the temper he had seen earlier in the hopes that she would stomp off or leave to where he would have the chance of going without her. In his words, she could hear the temptation. He was actually teasing her, daring her to a come back! Well, I can't exactly back down from it, can I? she thought to herself, the same smirk playing across her own face for him. Standing straight, a hand on her hip, which she seemed to be doing a lot in his presence, she lifted her head slightly to look down at him.

"I told you already, Van Helsing, that the matter had been decided? I'm traveling with you, whether you like it or not…" her voice dared for him to take her bait, and it seemed to be working, for she could see that he was already thinking of something to say. If anything, their arguments would make the trip a lot more interesting, and slightly less boring to hand. Before he could speak up, however, she continued, wondering what his reaction would be to the news she would give him.

"We leave in three days…"

"Again, you are very bossy… come in here telling me when to eat, when we are leaving, and that you decide to come with me. Are you going to tell me what to do and say next? What to eat as well?" he said, but instead of his voice being angered as most men would be, he seemed to be amused by the fact of her being so demanding. In a small sort of way, he was relieved that she was not some whiney girl that happened to tag along, but that she had a good head on her shoulders. Although annoying, Iavera didn't seem too bad a of a person to have company with. She laughed at his words, hearing the amusement in them. Now she just knew this trip would be more interesting.

"No, unless you cannot manage those on your own?" she said, eyes alight with tempting of a retort. When he gave none, she laughed again and grabbed her cloak she had left draped across the back of her chair. With it slung over her shoulder, she walked across to the door and grabbed the handle.

"My room is next door. I won't be far away… You need to rest if we plan on leaving here in those three days.. Sleep well." she said with a smile, turning and walking into the hall, closing the door behind her and heading to her own room. Gabriel was left alone in the room once again, but this time he had food for thought. It would definitely be interesting to travel with Iavera, and he felt slightly brighter than he had been for a very long time. In his heart he was still mourning, but maybe this journey could lighten his soul enough to let him see what good he did in the world, instead of just feeling like what others called him, a murderer.

"Wonder if I can leave before she does…" he snickered, laying his body down more so that he could rest more peacefully…

Authors Note: Phew! That was a long chapter to type, but I'm glad I got it done… I know it's a lot of arguing back and forth between them, but it had to happen some time and well, now seemed like a good time for their two different personalities to clash. Next time, they actually get to travel for a change of scenery!! =D YAY!! I will try and get the next chapter out as soon as I can, but college is being a stickler right now… lots o reading for homework.. Yada yada… SO, please r&r! ^^ p.s. there are probably some spelling mistakes because currently at this point, its past 2am so forgive me lol ^^;